Automatic transfer mechanism for conveyers.



L. D. MANCHESTER. AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CONVEYBRS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 21, 1910.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ZNVENTOR Alfomey L. D. MANCHESTER. AUTOMATIG TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CONVEYERS.

APPLIGATIONPILED MAY 21, 1910.' 7 1,1 12,3 I Patented 0011.6,1914.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 l I l I 1%. f A. a I .W Maw E 701? LAWRENCE D. MANCHESTER, SIOUX FALLS, SGlL 'lH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CON'VEYEBS.

misses,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (let. 6, 1914 Application filed May 2ll, 1910. Serial No. 562,777.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE D. MAN- rename, a citizen of 'tl1e. United States of America, residing at Sioux Falls, in the county of Minnehaha and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and use;- -t'ul Improvements in Automatic Transfer i'el'echanisni for Conveyors, of which the fol;- lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful imp ":lIlQl'ltS in automatic transfer mechanism for. conveyers, and relates more specifically to means for automatically transferring: crackers, cakes, etc., from one traveling belt or conveyor to another travel. ing belt or conveyer while the belts or convcye'rs are traveling in different directions, andis partimlarly designed and adapted for use in bakeries forthe handling with a minimum amount of breakageof those crackers known commercially as soda crackers". in bakeries, such products as soda crackers, oyster crackers and like brittle or fragile goods are termed shelf goods because they are generally baked directly upon the shelves of the oven, and are raked out into baskets or other suitable rcreptacles in the case of oyster crackers, or taken out in sheets as in the mode of hair (lling soda crackers. Any shelf goods are taken from the machine'wherc they are formed ready for bakingfin sheets in which the individual crackers are slightly attached to all the adjoining crackers. This is to facilitate the handling of the goods into and out of the oven. 'With such goods as oyster crackers, no care is required to be exercised in removing the crackers from the shelves,- since it is not intended that the be retained in sheets after being baked. But with such goods as soda crackers, it is imperative that the sheets of baked crackers reach the packers with a minimum amount of breakage of the sheets, that packing may be materially facilitated. ,In general practice, awtns'fdenshovel termed in the trade a peel isiused for placing the sheets of unbaked crackers on the ovenshclves, which operation is termed peeling. The ordinary peel of crackers is usually about 20 to 36 inches in size and the standard even i shelf will hold six peels oft-sheets of crackers. When baked, the sheets are peeled out of the oven Without breaking of the sheets. It is the usual custom to start atl one end of the oven shelf and raise the first sheet of crackers, placing it on the second sheet, and then raise these sheets placing them on the third sheet, then placing the peel under the three shcetsof crackers and drawing them from the oven. In

' bakeries where the packing is on a separate door from the baking, it is the custom to place the peels of crackers upon trays or shallow pans a little larger than the sheets of crackers. These trays are sometimes placedon special racks which are conveyed to the packing floor on ordinary elevators, or in some bakeries, the trays are conveyed to the packing floor with specially constructed tray conveyors that in some instances return the empty trays automatically to the be ing floor.

It is the broad object of my invention to overcome the loss due to breakage and to provide means for automatically transferring the crackers,

packing room onto a traveling receiver, and to make the transfer in such manner that all danger of breaking the crackers undisarranging same during delivery to the receiver is obviated.

Furthermore, the invention aims to obviate the cost and upkeep of the trays, .as Well as the expense of an extra handling of thecrackers, and to deliver the crackers to the packers promptly, so that they will still.

be in their tough state, and thereby greatly facilitate the packing, since all crackers are tough, while in their hot state and only become fragile or brittle when cold.

,Without intending to confine myself to any specific form of apparatus for carrying the invention intoefie'ct, I show herein, and will describe in detail, one embodiment of the invention as it: has been practised by me, so it may be understood by those skilled in the art, though it will be obvious, thatit is. susceptible to various changes as may be required, according to the conditions existing where it is desired ,to install the apparatus, for instance whether it is desired to convey the crackers from an upper to a lower floor, or vice-versa.

With reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through the floor of a building and the apparatus, showing the latter arranged so to convey the crackers from an. upper to a lower floor: where the receiver cakes or ike fragile goods ,from the carrier which delivers them to the or packing table is located. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the removing or transferring mechanism in longitudinal section. Fig. 3f is a plan view of the same, and, Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the mechanism on the line i4:,of Fig. 2

showing the traveling cracker-pusher in.v elevation. v

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, l have shown the ap aratus arranged to convey the crackers from an upper room as A to a lower room as B, the former of which may he desighatcrlas the baking room, and the room B as the packing room. The conveyor or carrier as it willbe hercin termed, is of a well known form, Consisting of two link belt chains to which shelves or trays 11 are attached by hangers 12 in such manner that the shelves or trays are always level during the travel of the carrier. This conveyor or carrier is disposed vertically, in-the present instance being adapted to receive the crackers or other goods on the shelves 0r trays in room A. and carry the same to room B, where they are transferred to the receiver. The said carrier is arranged to travel over suitably-disposed sprockets as 14:, 15, 16 'and 17., the sprockets 14, being spaced a suilicient distance apart as to provide for aconsiderable horisontal travel of thecarrier at the lower end thereof and thus enable the automatic transfer of the goods from the carrier to the receiver as will later be described.

In the room B, is arranged the receiver 18, which is'asnally in the form of a suitable conveyor bolt, the travel of which is away from or opposite to the horizontal portion of the travel of the carrier 10. This; receiver constitutes the table from'ivhich the crackers,-cakes or the like are packed into boxes or cartons by the packers, and it is. ,extremcl desirable 'that the goods be delivered from the carrier onto the receiver without being broken or disarranged, so as to facilitate the work of the packers. For this reason, the receiver 18 is arranged in such po'sition'with relation to the carrier,- that the shelves or trays 11 will be brought directly over the receiver with the bottom of the shelves or trays in close proximity to the receiver, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the goods on the shelves or trays may be transferred to thereceiver. The carrier and the receiver may or may not be arranged to travel at the same rate of speed as may be desired, a drive. connection as19 being provided between the carrier and receiver, and either one or the other of these taveling members being positively driven in any desired manner.

As heretofore stated, my invention resides in providing automatic means for transferring the crackers from the vertically traveling carrier to the horizontally traveling belt ,sic

shelves'llv as the latter are traveling horizontal plane over the receiver 18, the npusher being arranged to travel at the same rate of speed as the receiver. The pusher being movable, and arranged to travel in an opposite direction to the travel of the carrier, and at the same rate of speed as the @QIVQI', and in the same direction there ceivcr, causes the crackers to be moved onto the receiver or conveying belt Without any disarrangemcnt of the crackers froi.n the manner in which they were disposed on the tray or shelf, and thus be delivered to the packer inproper condition for packing. in the present embodiment of the invention, 1 have shown this transferring mechanism as arranged to be operated by the carrier, but obviously, other means may be provided for effecting the automaticoperation of the dovice in conjunction with the traveling can rier and traveling receiver. As herein shown, l'have providcd two suitahly-supported side members 20, between which the so-called vertical carrier has the horizontal portion. of its travel. Each member 20 is provided with a pair of hangers 21, in each v of which ismounted a guide-rod 22, which at their forward ends carry the pusher plate 23; Pivotally connected to the outer face of each member 20 is a two-armed lover or walking-beam 24, the upper ends of which are connected by a rod 25, which in turn is connected by a pitInan-rod 26 with the pusher plate 23. The lower ends of the walking-beams 24; have connected thereto one end of-links 27, the other ends of which carry pins 28 engaging in and adapted to ride in slots 29 provided therefor in the members 20. The major portion of these slots, extend in a horizontal plane, but at their rear ends, the slots terminate in 1 a.- dovvnwardlydnclined branch 29 into which the pins '28 ride, for a purpose as will presently appear; The side members 20 are pro vided directly above the slots 29 with. slots 30, parallel the rear ends, they terminate in. upwardly; inclined branches 30, these slots receiving pins 31. carried by the forwardsends of lo vers or'links 32, connected at their rear ends with the rod The chain belts of the vertically traveling carrier 10 are provided with lugs .or fingers 33 and 34, disposed on opposite sides of the chain belts and ar ranged to engage respectively Withthe, p' s 28 and 31. i

In operation, we Will assume that the tr 3 of carrier has moved so as to bring one enn V of the shelves or trays in position directly over the conveyor belt 18, as shown inliigs. l and 2. has assured this position, the lugs or'fingers with the slots 29 except that at When one of the shelves or w y 30 ceiver 18.

?3 on the chains adjacent the positioned shelf or tray engage with thepins 28, and, as the carrier continues its travehthe links 27 are moved rearwardly, thus rocking lovers or beams 24. on their pivots, and moving the upper ends of these levers or beams forward as the lower ends thereofmove rear ward; the forward movement of the up per ends of these levers or beams 24 causes the phsher-plate 23 to be moved forward, tl'ircng-li the medium of the pitinan rod 26, at the same rate of speed as the receiver is traveling forward. As the pins 28 travel. along the slots 29, they reach the inclined branches 29 of said slots and ride thereinto at the same time as the pusher-plate 23 has completed its travel across the shelf or tray 11 and transferred the crackers onto the re- During the forward movement of the pusher-plate 23, the links 32 have been carried forward so that L118 pins 31 he at the forward ends of the slots 30, in position to be engaged by the lugs or fingers at on the chain belts of the vertical carrier '10, so that as the following or succeeding tray or shelf 11 is traveling into position over the receiver 18, the pusher-plate 23 is carried rearwardly by the reverse movement of the parts above described'and again positioned ready for another forward stroketo remove the crackers froin the tray just brought into position. The branches 30 of the slots 30 permit of the ins 31 riding up into said branches so that t is lugs or fingers 34 pass out of engagement with the pins 31 without interfering with the travel of the carrier, in the same manner that the pins 38 drop into branches 29 of the slots 29 and allow the lugs or fingers '83 to clear the pins '28. y 'l'he lugs or fingers 33 and 34 are'so positioned on the chain belts that just as a tray or shelf has been brought into proper position. over the receiver, the lugs 33 engage with the pins 28 so as to start the pusherplate onits-forward movement, and just as this shelf or tray has been cleared of crackers, the lugs or fingers 34 come into engagement with. the pins 31 so as to return the pusher-plate to its initial position during the time a following or succeeding tray is traveling into position over the receiverr will. be observed that the cracker-carrying shelves ll of the endless conveyor 10 have a horizontal travel during the loading period and also during the unloading period. The latter-period is absolutely necessary to 'eflectthe transfer of the crackers to the packing table, but the horizontal travel during the loading period need not necessarily be provided, since the attendant has, as a rule illicient time to load the shelves as they arrive above the floor and before they begin their downward travel.

1 desire to call particular attention to the 'ing. ranged to travel with the tray or shelf, but

fact that the pushenplate is arranged to travel at the same rate of speed as the receiver, and by this means, no rigid obstruction is offered to the crackers during their removal from the carrier to the receiver, so that danger of breakage or disarrangement is absolutely prevented. The crackers when placed on the carrier trays or shelves are alwaysiin contact, and sometimes are baked in contact so that when placed on the trays or'sheives they are slightly attached to each other; under this condition, if they came into contact with a fixed remover, they would be held still until the tray or shelf had passedfrom under them, and as the crackers passed onto the moving conveyor 18 they would commence to pull away from those'held statiiinary on the tray,causing a breakage of the crackers, and disarrangement thereof from the manner in which they were placed on the trays or shelves materially interfering with the process of pack- VVith the removor'or pusher-plate arin an opposite directioiniand at the same rate of speed as the carrier belt 18, such breakage and disarrangement is prevented.

With the transfer system as herein shown and above set forth, it is customary topeel sis; sheets of crackers out of the oven and directly on to one of the shelves of the vertical conveyor or carrier, instead of three sheets into a tray as heretofore de- "scribed is the usual custom. This places the sheets on the belt of the packing table in stacks six deep. Each row of crackers is directly over another row and the cuts which marl; the crackers for size are in line, which assist the paclizers in breaking them apart, and the packers have much better access to the crackers istthe case where the sheets are placed in trays. With the traymethod, on account of the trays having sides or box construction, it is rather difiicult to get out the first row of crackers,

while with the beltv or receiver of the pre entsystem, there is nothing; to obstruct or interfere with the work of the packers. It is to be noted therefore, that with my device I dispense with the services of one man at the oven-to take the loaded trays as in the old system and place them on the racks or elevator, only theservices of one operator at the oven to peel the crackers being required, as well as eliminating the expense of the trays upon which to handle the goods under the usual system in vogue.

In the form of device herein shown and described, the conveyer isillustrated as one" having continuous movement during operation, butobviously I do not confine-the automatic transfer feature to such continuously moving conveyor, since the same is capable of adaptation for use in connection with a conveyor having intermittent movement,

and it will be obvious therefore that such changes as are necessary to adapt the invention to the conditions existing in the-factory where it is desiredto install the same may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as disclosed herein and defined by the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1.. In combination with a vertically-dis posed endless carrier provided with swing 'ing cracker-carrying shelves and arranged to travel horizontally during a portionvof its movement, a hor1zontally-traveling receiv ing belt disposed with relation to the carrier so as to receive crackers from the shelves of said carrier, and means for automatically transferring crackers from the shelves of the carrier to the receiving belt during the horizontal travel of the carrier, said transferring means and the receiving belt traveling in the same direction during the trans fer-ring operation.

2. In combination With a vertically-disposed endless carrier provided with sWinging cracker-carrying shelves and arranged to move horizontally during a portion of its travel, a horizontally-traveling receiving belt disposed to travel in the opposite direction to the horizontal movement of the carrier and disposed with relation to the carrier so as to receive crackers from the carrying-shelves, and means for automatically transferring the crackers from the shelves of .the carrier to the belt,,. said transferring means and the receiving belt traveling in the same direction durlng the transferring op-.

eration.

3, In a cracker conveyor; the combination with an endless carrler provided with cracker-carrying shelves, of a horizontallytraveling receiving table for the crackers,

and'an automatically-operating pusher-plate for transferring the crackers from the car-' 1,1 taste 'rier to the receiving belt, said pusher-plate and receiving belt traveling in'the same direction during the transferring operation.

4. In a cracker conveyer, the combination With an endless carrier provided with cracker-carrying shelves, of a horizontallytraveling receivin table for the crackers, and an automatically-operating pusher-plate for transferring-the crackers from the carrier to the receiving belt, said pusher-plate and receiving belt traveling in the same direction and at the same rate ofspeed during the transferring operation.

5. In cracker conveying mechanism, the

combination With a vertically-disposed en'dless carrier provided with crackencarryin shelves and arranged to have horizonta travel during the unloading period, a hori zontally-disposed traveling receiving belt,

and auton1atically-operat1ng means for transferring the crackers from the shelves of the carrier onto the receiving belt during the horizontal travel of the carrier, said transferring means and the receiver traveling in the same direction and at the same rate of speed.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a horizontal conveyer,

of a vertical conveyer, carriers pivotally sus pended from said vertical conveyer, said vertical conveyer having a portion. thereof arranged to move said carriers in close juxta position to said. horizontal conveyer, and means suspended over said carriers for intercepting the goods thereon, the movement of said carriers being adapted to displace said goods onto the horizontal-eonveyer.

*In testimony whereof I afix my signature in the presence oi two Witnesses.

LAWRENCE D. MANCHESTER. Witnesses:

JOHN J; LARKIN, Ennnsr Fronts. 

